Wheatland Farm, based in Pershore, Worcestershire, stands as a beacon of innovation. Under the management of Martyn Icke and his sons, Richard and Simon, this family Dairy farm has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past two decades, positioning itself at the forefront of modern practices.
When the farms Genus ABS Breeding Advisor first visited Wheatland Farm over 27 years ago, the farm had a herd of around 120 cows. Since then, the transformation has been remarkable and has grown to where they are at today with 720 cows and 240 heifers, producing an impressive 13,000 litres of milk daily while maintaining a 384-day calving index.
The cows are housed all-year-round in cubicles and fed a diet of grass silage and maize. “We’ve got about 720 cows which we calve all year round,” says Martyn. “We farm about a thousand acres in total, primarily dedicated to maize, grass, and wheat, all of which we do all of our own contracting for.”
A pivotal change came nearly four years ago with the installation of a 60-point GEA rotary parlour, the first of its kind in the UK and only the fifth globally. This state-of-the-art facility replaced the old herringbone parlour, significantly enhancing efficiency. “We were at a crossroads where we either needed to get bigger or smaller. Since installing the rotary parlour, we haven’t drastically increased our herd size but have become much more efficient,” Martyn explains.
Milking three times a day, the Ickes’ herd are producing a phenomenal average of 42 litres per cow a day!
The cows are fed on a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) diet, contributing to consistent milk yield and quality, with fat and protein levels at 4.2% and 3.4%. “We feed around 37 tons a day, and all cows, regardless of their stage of lactation, have the same diet, we find this consistency works well for our herd and is easier to manage” Martyn explained.
Breeding for the future
The Icke’s have been working with Genus ABS for over 27 years, utilising advanced genetic selection techniques to continuously improve their herd.
Looking to speed up the genetic progress of their herd, the family implemented GENEadvance®, Genus ABS’ breeding programme which combines Genetics Specialist’s expertise along with the latest in genomic technology and market-leading genetics.
As part of their herd improvement programme, every animal in their herd is genomic tested, allowing for a precise evaluation of each animal’s genetic merit allowing for more informed breeding decisions to be made.
This data then enables ranking of females based on the traits important to the Icke’s and helps select the best heifers to use to create future herd replacements with Sexcel® Sexed Dairy Genetics, and those to breed to beef using NuEra Beef Genetics™.
“We do all the AI ourselves, which can be anywhere between 1 to 15 cows a day,” says Martyn. The farm has also introduced Sexcel Male Beef into their breeding strategy, with the use of male sexed Angus semen for their dairy beef cross calves.
“We currently keep all our Angus and British Blue beef calves through rearing,” Martyn explains.
Adhering to a stringent selection criterion for bulls, the Icke’s strategy currently involves using those with an average PLI of over £790, milk of over 950kg, combined fat and protein over 77.4 kgs and maintenance of –10 kgs.
The Benefits of GENEadvance
The introduction of GENEadvance has revolutionised Wheatland Farm’s breeding strategy. “Before GENEadvance, we relied on milk records, but now we just follow the mating program provided by Genus ABS” says Martyn. “It’s incredibly easy and helps to alleviate time spent making those decisions. We simply told our breeding advisor what we wanted when we joined GENEadvance, and now we’re at the stage where we just ring up and say, ‘can we have some more semen?’ We would recommend GENEadvance to anyone considering it.”
This success can be seen throughout their herd with an average PLI increase of over £113 across the herd between August 2023 and August 2024 after signing up to GENEadvance, more than double the average of a UK herd which would increase at approximately 45 points of PLI each generation.
Looking Ahead
Looking to the future, the Icke family do not plan to expand the herd size further in the near future. “We want to continue doing things better before we get any bigger,” Martyn concludes. This focus on continuous improvement and efficiency ensures that Wheatland Farm will remain at the forefront of innovation.
Through the use of GENEadvance and the close working relationship with their Genus ABS’ Genetic Service Specialists, Wheatland Dairy Farm is steadfast in its commitment to maximising efficiency.
Interested in improving your herd’s current breeding program? Get in touch with your breeding advisor today and ask about GENEadvance, or fill out the form below.
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